Timing indicator for internal-combustion engines



1930- w. 0'. HAVENS 1,782,142

TIMING INDICATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 12, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Ww ir IN V EN TOR.

BY am Nov. 18, 1930. w. D. HAVENS I 1,782,142

TIMING INDICATOR FOR INTERNAL CGMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 12, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet '2 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 18, 1 930 WILLIAM J). HAVENS, or scHnNnoTAnY, NEWYORK TIMING mnroe'ron Fort iwrn'rinnL-ooimosrron ENGINES.

' Application filed February 12, 1929. serial No. 339,372.

, My invention relates to internal combus tionenglnes and moreparticularly to a tim ing indicator for such engines.

My invention further relates to certain combination, sub-combinations,and articlesof manufacture, and details of construction, all of whichwill be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of my invention, but it is,of course, to be understood, that my invention is not to be confined tothis particular embodiment, shown by way of illustration.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through my preferred form of timingindicator. I

Figure 2.is a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, on line 2, 2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation. v

Figure 4 is a Vertical section of a different size plug which may beused, together with the other-elements, in a different make of internalcombustion engine.

Figure 5 is a vertical section, through a standard form of internalcombustion engine, showing the manner of using my timing indicator.

In the internal combustion engine art, and more particularly in suchengines for auto mobiles, it is essential that the timing mechanism,governing the explosion in the different cylinders, be accuratelyadjusted to get the best results from the engine. Incorrect timing willnot only lessen the horse power of the engine, but, among otherdisadantages, often results in injury to the self-starting mechanism andother parts of the engine.

In practice, the adjusting of the timing mechanism has, heretofore, beenmore or less a hit-or-miss proposition and, at best, simply anapproximation.

A rough, or approximately correct, adjustment for low speed gas engineswould be more or less ruinous on high speedgas engines now commonly usedin automobiles."

By my invention I remove all'the guess work or. approximation in thetiming mechanism, so that the timing mechanism of the engine can bepositively and accurately adjusted for the particular engine, whetherthe engine be a low or high speed one.

Myiiii'vention is also valuable in finding the .exact location of thepiston when timing an engine for installing a new timing chain,. j

or placing new gears, without removing the cylinder head.', I

Otheradvantageswill, of course, be apparent to those familiar with theart.

In the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings 1is'my timing indicator comprising a. plug 2, orother suitable'means,tosecure it temporarily to an engine 3, Flgure 5. This plug has externalscrew threads 4; and internal screw threads 5 with an axial bore 6 inwhich is loosely mounted the indicating rod 7, which, 'for certain makes of engines, is provided with an off-set foot 8. Between the lower end9 of the plug and the ofi-setfoot, a coil spring 10 is mountedsurrounding the indicating rod 7,0ne end 11 of the .spring being'preferablzy threaded through the hole 12 in the rod i A tube 13provided at one end with external male screw threads is screwed into theupper end of theplugQ, co-operating with the female threads 5 in saidplug. Thistube is slotted at 14, 14 and provided with a scale 15. j I.Mounted to slide'freely within the tube 13 is'a cylindrical block 16provided with an axial hole 17 through which the indicating rod 7 maybefreely moved when the set screw 18 is loose."

Mounted immovably on this cylindrical spark plugs of the engine isremoved and the lower end of theplug2 is secured in the cyl inder headby the threads 4: engaging'the 1y engaged spark plug. In some standardengines, as n Figure 5, a supplem ent'al plug- 21 is employed, In suchan engine, the spark-plug is mounted in the supplemental plug 21, and,in such an engine plug 2 would be mounted in the supplemental plug inplace of the removed spark threads in the cylinder head,just previousplug, and the foot 8 would be brought over into the path of the top22 ofpiston The engine is then turned over by hand and as piston 23 ascendsit will engage wit-h the foot 8 and lilt'it, against the action of thespring 10 which will be compressed." At the same time the indicating rod7 with the cylindrical block, 16, is lit'ted vertically in the tube13,'causing the indicator 19 to move along the scale 15. This movementof the indicator will be positivelycontrolled by the upward movement ofthe piston 23 and will visibly indicatethe movement of. the piston onthe scale 15. The moment that the indicator 19 ceases to rise, willclearly indicate the peak of tlieupward stroke of the piston. 23,

With this point positively and visibly fixed, the timing mechanism canthen. be accurately'adjusted forthe particular engine,

whether it be a ,high orlow speed engine,

to obtain the maximurn efiiciency of'thatparticular-eng-ine.

lVhen the piston 23 passes thismaximum stroke and starts to descend, thespring 10 will, cause the foot, 8to follow the piston for a shortdistance, which will beinstantly indicated by the retrograde movementvof the indicator 19 on the scale 15. This also sists the operator infindingthe exact point of-ma-Ximum upward movement of the pis' ton, sothat all guess Work, or approximation, insetting the timing device oftheengine is eliminatedQ The engine 24, valves 25, cam shatt :26, andother parts of the internal combustion engine illustrated in Figure'5are all of standard construction, and form no part of my invention.

My invention may be used with engines having different sizespark plugopenings byvaryingthe size of plug 2. For-example, I have shown inFigure 4 a different size plug 102., In practice different sizes ofplugslflQ, may be sold; with one of my timing indicators. If the plug 2does not lit the partic- V ular opening in-the engine, thetubelI-l canbe unthreaded from the plug 2 and threaded into the plug 102 and the rod'7 be located in that plug. While I have shown only two sizes of plugs 2ancl102, various sizes may be employed, if necessary, aswell as(litterent shapes of indicator rod 7 and feet 8. The plug'2 may beprovided with a small port 30, so that-the escaping air will indi} In .atiming indicator for internal combustion ,engll es, the comb nation of ahollow plug adapted to screw into a spark plug opening, a tube screwedto the plug and provided with two slots, said tube being provided with ascale, a hollow block mounted to slide freely in said tube, anindicatormounted on said block and adapted to slide in one of the slots,and to co-operate with the scaleon the tube, an indicating rod mountedto slide within the plug; tube and block, a set/screw carried by thehollow block and adapted to slide in the-other slot of the tube toadjust-ably connect the indicator rod to thehollow blocl;,.,an ofisettoot carried by the indicator rod to engage a piston out of line withthe plug, and a spring normally pressing the otlset foot away from theplug.

lVM. D. HAVENS.

